


Practice

by RadarsTeddyBear



Series: Ducktober 2018 [9]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Fictober, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, prompt: self-inflicted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 20:25:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16249172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadarsTeddyBear/pseuds/RadarsTeddyBear
Summary: Lena practices her magic a little too hard.





	Practice

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: ["Self-Inflicted"](http://radarsteddybear.tumblr.com/post/169006603389/whumpreads-i-dont-draw-but-ive-been-thinking).

Lena stood in the amphitheater, talisman in hand.  It had been a long time since the sun had gone down.  Magica was no longer around, but that didn’t stop Lena from continuing to practice.

She shut her eyes concentrated on a fallen column.  The wind picked up, causing her her hair and her shirt to flutter around.  She felt the familiar warmth and energy of magic as it encompassed her body, and a matching glow encompassed the column.  She raised her hand, grunting in exertion, trying to lift the column.

A horrible bang interrupted Lena’s concentration as the column crashed to the ground.  She panted, trying desperately to gather the strength to try again.

She closed her eyes again.  Focus. She could do this.

Magic encompassed Lena’s body once again, and it quickly spread to the column.  She raised her hand, and the column began to levitate. But a sudden stabbing pain in her arms made her drop it again.

“Darn it!” Lena yelled, the words echoing off the walls of the amphitheater.  She shook her arms out and tried again.

This time the column rose about two feet before that same stabbing pain sent it crashing back to the ground.

Lena groaned.  “Why won’t this _stupid_ thing cooperate?” she yelled as loudly as she could.

She took a deep breath and tried again.  Lena felt the magic encompass her body, warm and buzzing with energy.  She felt it spread to the column. She increased her efforts. If she just tried harder--

The warmth of the magic turned hot, and the buzzing energy started vibrating.  Lena tuned it out--she wasn’t going to give up now. The column rose, higher and higher as Lena guided it with her arms, centimeter by centimeter.  Lena’s arms ached. Her lungs were on fire. Her skin began to crack, letting slivers of white light pour out. Her head began to swim. She could no longer tell up from down and hoped that she was still pulling the column in the right direction.  The magic around her grew hotter, and Lena heard a sizzling sound as the sweat pouring down her face turned to steam. Her hands shook, and she wasn’t sure that she would be able to last much longer…

 

* * *

 

Lena woke up on the cool, hard concrete floor of the amphitheater.  She rolled over painfully onto her back and watched as the stars spun lazily high above her head.

Everything ached.  Her arms felt like they belonged to a ragdoll, soft and limp and like they were far away from her body.  Her skin felt dry and almost flaky, like the slightest movement would tear it apart. Her thoughts were still muddled, and her lungs and throat were sore, like she’d just run a marathon without pacing herself.

Tomorrow, Magica would yell at her.  Make her rest for a few days to heal and regain her strength, all while berating her for doing something so stupid and getting in the way of her plans.  But tonight? Tonight, Lena simply closed her eyes and fell into the dark, empty, painless void that was sleep.


End file.
